Manipur, surrounded by
Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam and
Mynamar , has
Imphal as its capital. Literally meaning "
the jeweled land ", Manipur is richly endowed with natural splendor and grandeur. It has 9 districts: Bishnupur, Chandel, Churachandpur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Senapati, Tamenglong, Thoubal and Ukhrul. This beautiful state is also called "
Switzerland of the East ".
This land has a remarkable variety of flora & fauna. 67% of Manipur is hill tract covered forests.
The wet forests, the temperate forests and the
pine forests together house variety of rare plants and animal life. Orchids in Manipur thrive in their natural habitat.
In Manipur there are numerous small lakes and swamps. There is also a natural lake, called
Loktak , which is a big water reservoir of 36 metres depth. The dark green water
Hyacinath reed and other aquatic plants floats on its surface abundantly. This saucer shaped fresh water lake also attracts many species of birds.
The important places to see in Manipur are
Shri Govindji Temple, Shaheed Minar, Khonghampat Orchidarium, Manipur Zoological Gardens, Moirang, Bishnupur, Kaina, Khongjom, Red Hill, Manipur State museum, Khwairamband Bazar, The War Cemeteries and
Keibul Lamjao National Park.
